Winches are hauling or lifting devices, which pull in or let out a cable. The winch pulls in the cable by winding the cable around a horizontal rotating drum, or unwinding the cable from said drum. Winding the cable uniformly around the drum is optimal so that the cable does not bunch up around a single location on the drum and potentially jam the winch during winding. Dirt, mud, debris, and/or other materials can latch onto the cable when the cable is wound around the drum, causing an accumulation or buildup of said materials within the winch. Such buildup can disrupt uniform winding of the cable around the drum, and increase the likelihood of the winch jamming. Additionally, said materials may accumulate in other locations on the winch such as within a fairlead, cable guide, around a tensioner, in the gears, and/or other places where buildup may be unwanted. Thus, a need exists for an improvement to existing winches in order to reduce the amount of said materials that accumulate within the winch. Embodiments disclosed herein may improve performance of winches by reducing the ability for said materials to accumulate within the winch.